Hay S. 20• and power to do what he 'would. i. Be~aufe faith fweetens all other affii([iorts, even thofe. tt1at- are moll: ha'rd and ~ull of tedwufnefs i and howfoever 1t apprehends all troubles and affii<'tions, yet withal it apprehends the fairhfulneffe ofGod, ordering all for our good : and that's the reafan why all our troubles arc digelled comfcrtably, witbont any harfhneffc at all : When the Patient takes b1ttcr Pills~ 1f they be well fugared they god own the ealier, and the bJttcrneff~ never troubles h1m; fo it is with faith, it takes away the harfi)ndfe of all inconveniencies, which arc bitter Pills in themfelves, but they arc fwcetned and fugared over by the faithfulncffc of God, for the good of the foul .; andtheref0re it goes on chearfully. . . . You will fay, Iffa1th brmg fuch cafe, how may a man that hath fa1th, 1mprove 1t to have fuch comfort by it? I anfwer, the rules are four: 1. Labour to gain fomc evidence to thy own foul, that thou hall: a title to the prQ.. mife: The reafon why poor Chrillians go drooping, and are overwhelmed with their fins and miferics, is, becaufe they fee not their title to mercy, nor their evidence of Gods lov•; To the Word, and to the Tejhmvnics: Take one evidence from the Word, 'tis a! good as a thoufand ; if thou hall: but one promifc for thee, thou hall: all in truth, 'though all be not fo fully and clearly perceived. 2. Labour to fct an high price on the promifes of God: One promife, and the fweetneffe of Gods mercy in Chrill:, is better than all the honours or riches in the world ; Prize thefe at this rate, and thou canll: not choofe but finde eafe, and be contented therewith. 3. Labour to keep thy promifes e.ver at hand. \Vhat is it to me ifl have a thing in the houfe, if I have it not at my need ?Ifa man ready to fwoon and die, fay, I have as gvod <wdial warer '" ary in the world, bitt I k..now not where it is; he may fwoon and die before he can finde it: So when mifery comes, and thy heart is furcharged,O then fome promi.fo, fome comfort to bear up a poor faintmg droopingfoul, my tro~tbles are mtmy> owd I cannot bear rhem: Why, now Chrill and a promife would have done it; but thou haf~ thrown them in a corner, and they are not to be found : Now for the Lords fake let me intreat thee be wife for thy poor foul; there is many afainting fit and qualm comes over the heart of many a poor Chrillian;perfecutions without,and forrows and corrup· tions within, therefore keqrthy cordials about thee, and be fure that thou hall them within reath ; take one, and bring another, and be refrefhed by another, and go finging to thy grave, and to heaven for ever. · 4· Labour to drink an hearty draughtof the promife; beftow thy fclf upon the pro– mife every hour, whenfoevertho~tdolt find thefitcoming; and this is the way to finde comfort, Eat, 0 friends, and drink_je abtmdantly, 0 wd.beloved: The Original is, in drinking drink..; ye cannot be drunken with the Spirit, as you may with wine; drink.. abundam!y ; were dainties prepared, if an hunger-lbrved man comes in, and takes only a bit and away 0 he mull: needs go away an hungred: Think ofit fadly, you faith– fu l Saints of God; you may come now and then, and take a fnatch of the promife, and then comes fear, and temptation, and perfecution, and all quiet is gone again; ii is your own fault, brethren, you come thirll:y, and go away thirlly; you come difcom– fortcd, :~.nd fo you go away. Many times it thus befalls us Minifters; when we preach ofconfolation, and when we pray, and confer, we think we are beyond all trouble; but hy.andby we are full of fears, and troubles, and farrows, becaufe we take not full contentment in the promife, we driuk not a cleep draught of it: of this take heed roo; 1. Of Cav.illing and ~arrelling with carnal reafon. 2. Of attending ro the parlics of Satans ·temp~ations if we lillen to this chat, he will make us forget all our comfort. - • CHAP. VII. The growing of the foul with Chrij/. H'lthcrtJoof the firll: part of the fouls implantation; to wit, ofrhe putting rf thefoul titrJo Chrijl. We are now come to the fecond, which is, 'The growi>'t of tl>&foul with Chrift. Thefe two take up the nature of ingrafling a linner into thefrock.Cnrift Jefus. Now this growing together is accompli!hed by two !lleans•. r.- By
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